Southport Pier could reopen next year says council leader
Ms Atkinson told BBC Radio Merseyside she was "delighted" at the funding announcement and was awaiting further details.She said: "We're absolutely wanting to get on with it."I think it will probably take between 12 to 14 months for it to go from start to finish."We'll be looking at ways in which, if we can, to get it done as quickly as we possibly can, but it does take a lot of time because there's a lot of work."Southport Pier was shut by the council in 2022 on the advice of structural engineers.The closure has had a significant impact on the town's leisure and tourism industry with many residents and local business owners keen to see the pier reopened.Ms Reeves described the pier as "an iconic symbol of coastal heritage" when she announced the funding boost in June, and said the investment would create jobs and new business opportunities.Ms Atkinson said lessons will be learned from a previous unsuccessful attempt to repair the pier and the authority will ensure the right materials and construction methods are used.
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Revealed: The sneaky tricks used by caravan salesmen that could leave owners tens of thousands out of pocket on their dream holiday homes
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One of the 'worst' tactics he has noticed is potential buyers being told to take home and read complex documents before making their decision, with agents relying on the fact they won't be look at it properly because it's too hard to understand. This means they go in blind and hand over their money before later realising they made a huge mistake. Some buyers figure it out early on and try to cancel their doomed purchase, but the holiday home sales veteran said the company then 'make it hard to get the deposit back'. Those who do go through with it are often disappointed their newly bought caravan has been 'left a mess for the customer to sort out'. But this is yet another seedy strategy to get them to fork out even more cash to the park. Our source said: 'Now they are on park the company see them as a wallet to empty. 'They target new customers within three months of arriving to upgrade their caravans and it is done in a very hard sell way.' If that doesn't work, he said a lot of the major companies deploy campaigns which allow them to 'offer the customer anything to get the deal'. 'That comes with its own pressures on staff to "perform" or get out,' he added. Terms and conditions often say the park will act as a selling agent for owners who decide sell their caravans, but our source says some 'do nothing to help' and 'will stand in the way' of any potential sales. He said: 'The philosophy is not to help privately sell but buy the home back - and then sell it again for much more. I understand why customers get p***ed off, seeing what happens.' Customers are not even allowed to put their own For Sale sign up in the window as 'it takes money away from the companies'. And whilst agents 'should help' them sell it, they 'never do, as head office would sack them if they found out'. The whistleblower explained how, after months of blocking desperate owners from selling, the companies make them 'a stupid offer' to buy it back for much less than they bought it for and then put them back up for sale at an inflated price. Recalling one particularly unsettling example, he said: 'I remember a mother was recently bereaved - the family wanted to sell back to us. I asked my director, "What do I offer them?" 'He said, £30,000 - the family had bought the home for £200,000. 'I eventually helped them to get £190,000, with 7.5 per cent commission going to the company as agreed, and the director later told me I'd done the right thing and apologised. But many others are getting far less.' One firm he worked at did a trial scheme where people were allowed to sell their caravans privately with a 10 or 15 per cent commission going to the company. Recently, disgruntled customers have come forward with stories about 'nightmare' caravan purchases that left them out of pocket and 'ruined' their lives after being hit with hidden costs and fees (stock image) However, anyone who put a private sale listing in their window was 'instantly targeted' by the park who were hellbent on buying it back. Another thing that draws in some naive, and potentially vulnerable, customers in is some companies' willingness to bend the law. The anonymous salesman said some of them 'encourage' clients to sell their brick-and-mortar houses, buy a caravan to live in instead and illegally register themselves as living at friends or relatives address. Speaking about the industry as whole, he said: 'The situation is getting even worse. 'Sales are becoming harder to get, especially since Covid, so there's even more pressure to get as much as possible out of tenants. 'The changes in the industry have become more severe in recent years, with big investors buying up the parks. The big firms are more insistent on getting returns. 'There's more pressure on salespeople working for them and it's all more ruthless, both for staff and towards potential buyers. 'The whole business of holiday home parks need legislation as all a lot of companies do is rip people off.' Despite working in the industry, the empathetic salesman gave some helpful advise to help prevent anyone thinking of buying a caravan from getting into a tricky and exploitative situation. Don't see it as an investment 'It's not an investment - don't see it as that. People have to understand it's about enjoyment and leisure time, for families to share together - just consider how much money you want to put into that.' Don't budge on your budget 'People should have a budget they can stick and go into it with eyes open - don't just accept what the seller says.' Do your research and know your rights 'There are guides and codes you can download, to do your research - read the small print, even though the pressure from the salesperson will always be to make your mind up on the same day.' Finally, the whistleblower added: 'Of course, there are tens of thousands of people who love their holiday homes - but if it goes wrong, it goes very very badly wrong. You get rogues who are ripping people off and make all of us look bad. 'These are people's life savings we're dealing with. And there are properties than sell for up to as much as £850,000. 'There are firms where salespeople have to call new buyers at least three times in the first three months since buying, suggesting a sale back or part-exchange. 'It's high pressure sales and the companies force it on them because they've got investors to satisfy.' This week, a British grandmother and grandfather claimed to have been left £150,000 out of pocket after a 'nightmare' caravan purchase they say has 'ruined' their lives. Lisa and Robert Colvin-Jones bought a caravan by the sea after downsizing their home, with the aim to make memories with their grandson and to rent it out when they are not there. However, the purchase has turned into a financial nightmare for the pair, aged 55 and 56 respectively, with alleged hidden costs and other fees. The couple say they have to work three jobs between them just to stay afloat. They have only stayed in the caravan for three days in 2024 and not at all in 2025 - earning just £500 in rent across 32 weeks. 'We could not have known this would be the start of a financial nightmare that is still ruining our lives today,' Lisa said. The pair visited Sea Bay Resort park in West Sussex in September 2021. Lisa, a full-time carer, from Sussex, was going through serious medical issues at the time of the purchase and having a relaxing family retreat seemed 'just the ticket'. The salesperson showed them the 2019 ABI Ambleside caravan for £89,995. They claim to have been reassured that it was a 'platinum' standard home - the highest earning rental classification - and when not using it themselves, they could potentially earn a significant income from it. A £10,000 deposit was put down and the remainder was financed. However, soon after they got the keys, the pair realised a veranda would be needed for the safety of Lisa's father, who suffers from COPD. After finding a reputable contractor, who would do the job for £6,000, the couple claim to have been informed by Seal Bay that they were only allowed to use a 'park approved' contractor to the tune of £11,000. Lisa said: 'We were also contractually bound to buy our gas bottles directly from the park at £105 per bottle. Elsewhere, the same bottle costs around £80. 'Electricity similarly has to be purchased from the park in fixed blocks with no transparency or control. 'We were not allowed to install cheaper, green options like solar panels.' To help recover some costs, the pair tried to rent out the caravan but soon discovered that their supposed 'platinum' mobile home was actually 'gold plus' - meaning less rental rate and booking volume. And when they did get renters in, their energy bills surged. To add insult to injury, they were then hit with an increase in ground rent - despite allegedly being told that fees had remained consistent for years. In 2023, another salesperson suggested upgrading to a caravan they could rent out more easily - and for more money - costing a further £25,000. Lisa said: 'We were promised the new unit would generate £20,000 plus in annual rental income. 'Obviously, we were hesitant after our previous experiences but we felt like we had no other options. We were desperate.' But, there was a hidden cost - it needed a larger pitch, increasing their ground rent from £6,500 to £7,500 per year. There was also no path across the wet grass and to have one fitted, it would cost £899 for nine flat stones using the park's approved contractor. Lisa and Robert, who work in IT and baggage handling at an airport, claim the slabs were already in place, but were removed for the caravan, meaning they had to pay to put them back. The final straw came when they tried to sell the caravan back to the park, who could only offer them £24,100 - an 80 per cent loss. Lisa added: 'Our grandson loved the caravan holidays we did have and we tried so hard to make it work. But the costs are just unworkable. 'When we did manage to rent out the caravan, the park held onto the money for months and there was little left over after the bills. We lose money every month. 'Other people who sold back to the park have told us that their caravans went straight back on the market for full value. 'We looked into selling privately but Seal Bay told us that if we didn't sell to them, then they would charge the new owners an extra £500 a year in ground rent - effectively making private sales impossible. 'Overall, we were given drastically unrealistic expectations around costs and rental income.' Greg Wilson, CEO of European Consumer Claims (ECC), said: 'Sadly, the Colvin-Jones' experience are by no means unique. 'Misleading sales presentations are totally unacceptable when life changing amounts of money are involved. 'Inflated, hidden and monopolistic costs are reported right across the industry, and we at ECC are leading a nationwide call for the government to introduce legislation to protect people like Lisa and Robert.'
